{
  "patent_number": "US 10108910",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Mobile Apps Connect Drivers to Real-Time Parking Spots",
  "original_title": "Mobile parking systems and methods for providing real-time parking guidance",
  "summary": "A system where a parking server uses a mobile carrier's authentication to help drivers find, track, and reserve parking spots in real-time.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a system that connects a driver's mobile app to a central parking management server. When a user requests a spot, the server first checks with the user's mobile carrier to confirm they are authorized to use the service. Once verified, the server scans a database for available spots near the user's destination. If a spot becomes unavailable, the system continuously updates the user with other nearby options until they successfully reserve one. Finally, it updates the database to mark that spot as taken and notifies the parking lot manager.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover parking systems that operate without a mobile carrier's authentication server.",
    "Does not cover hardware-only parking sensors that do not communicate with a central management server.",
    "Does not cover peer-to-peer parking reservations that occur without a centralized management database."
  ],
  "filed": "2013-09-03",
  "granted": "2018-10-23",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/verizon-patent-and-licensing-inc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Arda Aksu",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/arda-aksu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lalit R. KOTECHA",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/lalit-r-kotecha"
    },
    {
      "name": "Thomas W. Haynes",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/thomas-w-haynes"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 1,
  "tags": [
    "telecommunications",
    "software",
    "consumer_electronics"
  ],
  "abstract": "Parking guidance is provided to a user of a mobile device requesting information on parking spots at a requested location for a requested time. In response to receiving a parking information request, parking spots having locations proximate to the requested location and having availability at the requested time are identified in a database of parking spot information of a parking management server. A notification of the identified parking spots is transmitted to the user device from which the information request was received. In response to receiving a reservation request identifying a parking spot to be reserved from the user device, the database is updated to identify the identified parking spot as being unavailable at the requested time. Additionally, a notification of the reservation request is transmitted to a parking manager associated with the identified parking spot, the notification identifying the particular parking spot and the requested time.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10108910/airbnb-booking-platform",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10108910/airbnb-booking-platform/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10108910",
  "relatedPatents": []
}